Common Characteristics of Menopause
Menopause, also called the climacteric and familiarly known as "the change," is the total cessation of the menstrual
cycle and, consequently, the end of a woman's childbearing capacity. It is a natural physiological event--not an
illness or an affliction. Its onset is gradual, generally occurring in american women between the ages of 48 and 55,
although it can start anytime from the late 30s to the late 50s.
The process is usually signaled by changes in the menstrual cycle: decreased bleeding, skipped periods, unusually heavy
flow over a shorter than usual period, etc. The transition to menopause may take no more than six months or it may
extend over two years. Since ovulation may still occur, even sporadically, contraception should be practiced until
menstruation has stopped completely for four to six months, unless your doctor has determined there is no danger of
an unwanted pregnancy.
Hormonal Changes
During the years of fertility, either of the ovaries may produce an egg each month (ovulation) and supply the
hormones--especially estrogen but also progesterone--to prepare for the development of the fertilized egg. As menopause
approaches, these functions gradually taper off until egg production stops altogether and hormone production is insignificant.
The resulting changes in hormonal balance cause the characteristic symptoms of menopause--hot flushes and night sweats,
which are experienced by up to 85 percent of all women. Although the mechanism of these symptoms is not fully understood,
they appear to result from a vasomotor (the body's temperature regulation system) instability related to changing
hormonal levels. The hallmark is a sudden suffusion of heat affecting the face and upper part of the body. There may
be a red blotching of the skin and excessive perspiration, followed by a chill. Their frequency and intensity varies
considerably among women, ranging from the barely noticeable to the almost intolerable. Happily, the body almost always
adjusts to the decreased levels of female hormones and the flushes lessen and disappear.
